The Togetherness of Misfits
by jellyjay
Summary: Response to the 1Fandom challenge on LJ. Fifty sentences on Avatar: the Last Airbender, free for interpretation. [Hints of Zutara and Taang, though]


**I said I wouldn't do it until after I finished 'Oblivious' but I do. Distractions bite.**

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**1Fandom Claim  
****Theme Set Gamma**

_1. __Walk  
_Zuko stares at the little blind girl: "What can you possibly tell from the way people walk?" – she smirks at him, "_Everything_."

_2. __Beauty  
_It's funny – one tiny adjustment to how she wears her hair (so that now it is free to flow about her shoulders) and she is no longer just pretty – she is gorgeous.

_3. __Catch  
_Sokka takes one look at the flimsy, make-shift spear and the tiny squirming little fish on the end of it, and laughs – "Who the taught you how to fish?"

_4. __Speak  
_Zuko doesn't talk much but Iroh makes a bet with Toph that Katara can change that within the next two weeks.

_5. __Lack  
_A lack of Air Nomads doesn't make the Avatar's job any easier.

_6. __Mine  
_Zuko has a necklace in his hand which Katara is convinced is her mothers; she takes a closer look and realises it's not – he explains that it's _hers_.

_7. __Laugh  
_There are nine youths seated around the fire at the Western Air Temple and eight of them are laughing – Zuko isn't quite sure he's welcome to join them.

_8. __While  
_The two girls giggle as the older one does the laundry, gossiping about boys with blushes crossing their faces every now and then, and all the while Aang watches, knowing that neither one is talking about him.

_9. Youth  
_Iroh envies the young because the innocence they have is something he will never get again.

_10. Stay  
_"_Don't go – promise me you won't go – "_ She nods, because technically, if she doesn't say a word, it doesn't count as a promise.

_11. Fill  
_Katara heads to the stream to fill her canteen and asks if anyone would like her to fill theirs while she's at it – it is a simple offer, but Zuko sees it as one of the many ties that bind this little group of misfits so tightly.

_12. Distraction  
_Aang is trying to concentrate, really, it's just that a certain waterbender is over by the stream looking as gorgeous as ever while he's stuck here learning how to feel the sun.

_13. Fear  
_He left two weeks ago on the Day of Black Sun and ever since, Mai's greatest fear is that he won't come back – or worse, come back with a change of heart.

_14. Crash  
_Aang wonders what it is like to see like Toph – so she blindfolds him for the day (the bruises on his nose and forehead may never heal).

_15. Look  
_Katara glares at him and he glares back, and recognising the look of things, the others back away as quickly as possible.

_16.__ Begin  
_"I dunno… I've never tried anything like this before…" she gulps, but he merely grins at her: "Now's the perfect time to start."

_17. Second  
_She will always be second best to him, Toph thinks, but she tries to convince herself that it doesn't matter anyway (only it does, so it doesn't quite work).

_1__8. Violet  
_Red and blue make a lovely blend of purple, Katara realises; a very pretty, deep, alluring sort of colour, but at the same time, she cannot help but feel that this type of purple also represents turmoil and destruction.

_19. Candy  
_Toph and Bumi share many interests and abilities – genomite, rock candy, is their favourite type of food – this probably explains why the crazy king and the little blind girl are the best of mischievous, earthbending pals.

_20. Nothing  
_Zuko watches as his uncle is led away to prison – this is the price of his honour, he realises, and though the truly honourable thing would be to do something to stop this madness, he does not.

_21. Familiar  
_She grins at him and for some reason, Aang is hit with a serious case of déjà vu.

_22. Show  
_Her brother is kneeling before her father begging for mercy and Azula decides that she will never get to see a show any better than this.

_23. Day  
_It is night and she is winning – at this rate, he will never get the upper hand – but suddenly the sun is there and as quickly as she gained the upper hand, she loses it.

_24. Ask  
_Suki finds Sokka frozen to a wall and curious, she asks Katara what he did this time – "He was asking for it," is the only answer she gets.

_25. Think  
_Aang has been pondering about the strangest things lately, and for long periods of time too – Toph merely snorts at him and says: "Don't hurt yourself, Twinkles."

_26. Hair  
_Hair is overrated, Aang decides.

_27. Home  
_Zuko has had many homes – a palace, a ship, an apartment – but to be totally honest, the only one that felt real was the one atop a flying bison with four other misfits and his uncle.

_28. Loud  
_He wasn't the quietest of people, which is probably how she managed to follow him all the way out here.

_29. Travel  
_Zuko has travelled by land, sea and air and now he wonders if one day soon, people will be able to travel by fire.

_30. Damage  
_She refuses to speak to him, and he wonders how much damage that one, idiotic statement really did to their relationship.

_31. Strength  
_She must leave, he thinks, because she still has the strength to get out of this wretched place whereas he does no and he will not let her die an untimely death because of him.

_32. Together  
_Mai and Zuko look perfect together, so Katara decides to leave – probably because it hurts to see him so happy without her.

_33. Push  
_Fate his been prodding the young Avatar subtly for so long now and her amusement has turned to irritation – surely the boy wants a love life! – perhaps the General Iroh can help.

_34. Safe  
_She flicks him ('Twit! I told you to leave back there! You could have been killed!") but she is safe so she can insult him all she likes and he won't be offended.

_35. Private  
_Katara keeps a journal, much to the others' disbelief – ever since they found out, there has been an excess of frozen people.

_36. Light  
_Toph dances well albeit reluctantly and Aang wonders how she can call him "Twinkle Toes" when she is just a light on her feet as he is.

_37. Big  
_"I'm sure she's fine, Aang, Katara's a big girl now and can take care of herself." (They follow her anyway, just in case.)

_3__8. Want  
_"What do you want this time?" Katara snarls – Zuko kneels before her, weapons on the floor at his side – "Only for you to forgive me."

_39__. Law  
_"That's illegal!" she hisses as he slips an apple into his bag – "_So_?"

_40__. Canine  
_Aang tosses Sokka's boomerang a little way in front of him: "Fetch, Momo!"

_4__1. Truth  
_Everything felt fake – he didn't even feel real anymore – and then suddenly, ("Your uncle is dead,") reality is too much to handle.

_4__2. Smoke  
_"Katara! Katara!" he calls, desperate to make sure his baby sister is safe – the dust cover doesn't help at all.

_4__3. Order  
_"Get out!" yells Zuko, but she doesn't budge: "You are in no position to tell me what to do, boy, so either shut up or I'll kill you before Ozai does!"

_44. Feel  
_Katara hugs him but he feels indifferent – war has taken its toll on a twelve year old boy.

_45. Finish  
_"You're done," snarls Ozai, glaring at the Avatar, but the doors burst open to reveal five other people, and Aang smirks: "Am I, now?"

_46. Through  
_"We're through," says Mai quietly – oddly enough, it doesn't hurt very much at all.

_47. Race  
_There are a group of youngsters standing atop the walls of the Fire Nation Capital, and the Firebender turns to the rest: "First to the throne room wins." ("You're on, Kuzon!")

_48. Need  
_Katara needs more water to bring back her brother's slowly ebbing life – she prays that her tears will do.

_49. Splash  
_Zuko wades into the water and kicks – "Did you just _splash _me, Zuko?"

_50. Thrill  
_Toph leaves the ground with Aang on his glider but is unsure how to feel: terror is thrill, after all.

**

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R'n'R**

**JJ**


End file.
